Bradley Cooper: I wasn't expecting my Tony award nomination

London: Actor Bradley Cooper said he was not expecting his Tony Award nomination for "The Elephant Man" and was suprised to be recently shortlisted for Broadway's highest honour.

Bradley Cooper. Pic/Santa Banta

"[I'm] very surprised. It's a nice boost of confidence," he said.

Commenting on the physical demands of playing the deformed hero, he said, "The nature of the character and what the actor has to do, yeah, I would be lying if I said my body didn't take a bit of a beating."

Cooper, 40, said he is excited to bring "The Elephant Man" to London from May 18 to August 8.

"I can't believe I'm about to do it again," he said. The actor has already made his mark on the world of film, receiving Academy Award nominations for "Silver Linings Playbook" in 2013, then "American Hustle" in 2014 and "American Sniper" earlier this year.

He's also the voice of Rocket in the Marvel superhero blockbuster "Guardians of the Galaxy".